Snap-switch construction



Jan. 20. 1925.

H. E. LEPPERT SNAP SWITCH CONSTRUCTION Filed March 6, 1923 A TTOR/VEV Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. LECPPERT. OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

PORATION OF. CONNECTICUT.

OF PLAINVILLE CONNECTICUT, A COR- SNAP-SWITCH CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 6, 1923. Serial No. 623,108.

To all u'lwmit may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LErPnn'r, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snap-Switch.Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to switches adapted to be used in panelboard constructions, but it should be understood that I do not consider the invention as necessarily limited in this respect.

The invention is particularly directed to the method of alining and supporting the stationary or terminal contacts.

The main object is to so support the contacts that they are reinforced and protected against accidental displacement or twisting.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the switch construction, showing one form of the embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the principal novel parts of the construction.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views of the insulating members.

The form of construction herein shown 18 particularly adapted for use in panel boards in which the switches including the movable and stationary contacts are so constructed and arranged that they may be readily installed or removed as separate units.

In this construction there is a base plate 6, for instance, of sheet metal, provided with supporting lugs 7 and 8 at opposite ends. The switch proper may be 0 any suitable construction. for example, one having a supporting frame or yoke 9 adapted to be supported on the lugs 7 and 8. The movable contact member 10 of the switch may be of any suitable construction and adapted to be operated by means of push buttons. a toggle or the like. The member 11 indicates a form of operatingmember adapted for push button operation.

The switch proper may be secured to the lugs 7 and 8 in any suitable manner, as, for intance, by screws bolts or rivets 12.

The stationary contacts 13, 13, which are commonly termed high contacts are provided with feet, such as 14, suitably secured to the base 6 but insulated therefrom. In this panel board 'type of switch, each of the contacts 13 is electrically connected with a slotted plate 15 adapted to be supported on one of the bus-bars of the panel-board, the foot of the contact being connected to the plate 15 by means of rivet 16, which passes through an an opening 17 in the base 6. Insulating washers 18 and 19 are also preferably provided to insulate the foot 14, plate 15 and rivet 16 from the plate 6. These insulating members 18 and 19 may be provided with slots 20 to receive the connecting members or rivets 16. The rivets 16 are headed over to secure the parts in their proper position. Plate 19 is positioned on the base 6 by engagement wlth the lug 8 on the base.

In a construction of this character the long or high contacts 13 are quite likely to be bent in handling the switch or in making installations or repairs of the panel board. While, of course, it is possible to again straighten outthe contacts, it is difficult to get them into proper alinement with the movable contact members; it is therefore important to reinforce the con tacts so far as possible and prevent them from being bent or twisted out of alinement. I therefore provide spacing members each of which ma consist of two plates formed preferably 0' insulating fibre, and one of these plates 21 is mounted between the contact arms 13 and provided preferably with hook-like fingers the arms. This plate is provided with a portion 23 adapted to be secured on the foot of the switch frame 9 by the screw or bolt 12. Another insulating plate 24 is adapted to be similarly supported and is provided with hooklike fingers 25 disposed opposite to the fingers 22, so that when the plate is secured in position by the screw 12 or similar means, the fingers embrace the contact arms and hold them securely in spaced and alined position. These spacing members consisting for instance of plates 21 and 24 are very simple in construction and may be cheaply and easily made and assembled. Their presence guards against liability of bending or deflecting the contact arms from their factory adjusted positions. Other stationary contact members 26 may be provided at the opposite end of the switch and reinforced in the same manner, if desired.

While the drawings show the invention as applied to a two .pole switch, it is obvious 22 embracing the edges ofthat the contact arms of a sin le pole or of a multipolc switch may be a ined and secured in the same manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a snap switch, a support, a pair of contact arms arranged in substantially parallel planes and each having a supporting foot at one end secured to said support and a contact'portion at its opposite end, an insulating member secured to said support between said arms for spacing and reinforcing said arms at points intermediate their feet and their contact portions, said insulating member having oppositely disposed spaced hooks embracing the side edges of said arms. I

2. In an electric snap switch a supporting base having a reflex lug, yielding contact arms supported by said base on opposite sidesrot' said lug and an insulating reinforcing member secured to said lug and extending between said arms and having portions embracing the edges of said arms.

3. In an electric switch, a pair of contact arms, a pair of insulating plates having hook-like fingers engaging the sides and opposite edges of said arms, and 'means for securing said plates in engagement with said arms.

t. In a snap switch, a pair of yielding contact arms, a pair of insulating plates mounted between said arms and having oppositely disposed portions engaging the sides and opposite edges of said arms, and means for securing said alining plates in e u I engagement with sa1d arms.

5. In an electric switch, a pair of contact arms, insulating alining members between said arms having hook-like fingers engaging the sides and opposite edges of said arms, and means for securing said alining members in co-acting position.

6. In a snap switch, a pair of yielding contact arms. insulating plates having oppositely disposed portions engaging the sides and edges of said arms, and means for securing said plates in engagement with said arms.

7. In a snap switch, stationary and mov able contacts, reinforcing means for said stationary contacts comprising two insulating plates, each plate having a portion adapted to engage the opposite sides and one edge of thesaid stationary contacts and means for securing the said plates in position.

8. In a snap switch, stationary and morable contacts, reinforcing means for said stationary contacts comprising two insulating plates, each plate having a portion adapted to engage the opposite sides and one edge of the said stationar contacts andmeans for securing the sai plates in position to co-operatively enga e each sta tionary contact on both sides an both edges.

9. In a snap switch, stationary and movable contact members, alining means for said stationary contacts including two insulating plates each plate having means for engaging each side and one edge of each stationary contact and means to register and secure the said plates in engagement with said stationary contacts.

10. In a snap switch, stationary and morable contacts, reinforeing means for said stationary contacts comprising two insulating plates having co-operating hook portions adapted to engage the said stationary contacts and having registering openings and means for securing the said plates with their openings in register and engaging the said stationary contacts.

HENRY E. LEPPERT. Witnesses GEORGE S. CASE, H. L. NEWELL. 

